


Under Moonlight

by wolfierambles



Series: Steady Universe [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 16:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9191048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfierambles/pseuds/wolfierambles
Summary: Summary: In which the second years are done with the romantic tension between Kai and Yaku because the two of them believe the other isn’t interested.





	

“You should confess to Yaku before you graduate.” It’s a testament to Kai’s composure that he doesn’t choke or spit his green tea in Yamamoto’s face after being called out on his crush.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do. Don’t you at least want to tell him before you have to say good-bye?”

“Logically then, I shouldn’t start a relationship because we would have to dissolve it shortly after it’s beginning. Hypothetically of course.”

“Right, hypothetically.” Yamamoto drawls and gives Kai a Ennoshita-inspired look. “So the extra Valentine’s Day card and chocolates aren’t from you.”

“Of course not.”

“Even though the note has your handwriting.”

“Most people have handwriting like that.”

“You’re the only person I know who writes their characters like it’s fricking calligraphy but I’ll let it slide. And the fact that the chocolates were Hello Kitty shaped despite the fact that only you and Kuroo knew Yaku liked that character in the first place was a lucky guess?”

“Yes.”

“Kai. Denial is a really deep river. Please be honest. No one guesses that a guy likes Hello Kitty when he regularly intimidates people over a foot taller than them.”

“What difference does it make to you then,” Kai sighs and frowns slightly. He knows the battle’s lost, in more ways than one. It’s one of the facts of life for the Nekoma third-years. Kuroo loves Bokuto. Kai loves Yaku. Yaku doesn’t want to fall in love. Nothing has changed that in three years, nothing will in the years to come.

“Whether or not you’re happy is a big deal to me,” Yamamoto replies softly.

“Would I be happier if I confessed?” Yamamoto raises an eyebrow at that; Kai is the level-headed one and he’s honestly surprised that the guy hadn’t thought to just get it over with. Then again, love turns wise men into fools. Yamamoto takes a steadying breath; I have to be a fool too.

“I think so. I know I would have been.”

“Would you?” Kai is skeptical. Yamamoto has probably experienced infatuation the most out of their whole team but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. 

“Yeah, then I wouldn’t have a giant cloud of what-if over my head. What if I told them that I love them? That I adore their smile or the way their hair catches light? What if I told them how every time I’m sad, their voice pulls me back to reality and lets me fall on my feet? What if I told them how much I depended on them to keep all the pieces that make me, me together? Would they stay? Would they still leave? Would I manage to salvage a friendship out of the wreck of teenage romance?”

“I never thought you were poetic.” Kai muses to distract himself from the gnawing want in his gut. The quieter the person, the louder they scream and Kai feels like he could scream his feelings loud enough for the whole world to hear, pause and wonder.

“And if the people I loved knew that too, maybe they might have lingered longer.” The silence that drops between the two of them is as heavy as the weight of Mount Fuji; it’s a battle of wills, an open heart versus a closed mind.

“Let me think about it,” Kai concedes first, bowing his head. No one knows heartbreak more than Yamamoto either and Kai can’t help the fact that he’s just a bit convinced.

“Maybe that’s all you need.” Yamamoto gives back before quietly fixing up his heart again.

-

Kai can’t stop thinking about it.

Ever since he talked to Yamamoto, ideas have been dancing around in his head. He finds himself spending time to look at the flowers in the grocery stores, wondering which one Yaku would pick or staring at Hello Kitty cards wondering if he should write one. Each one he dismisses though, Yaku doesn’t like to be coddled constantly. The Valentines chocolates were a nice treat and that’s all Yaku would want. Anything bigger than that and he’d be smothered.

“What to do…” Kai mumbles to himself as he changes slowly for practice. Coach has been pushing all of them lately given how soundly Itachiyama had beaten them in the semifinals and how ascendant Karasuno had become.

“What are you going to do?” Yaku peers up at Kai, hands on his hips with one eyebrow quirked upward.

“It’s not important.” Kai diligently ignores a snort from Yamamoto.

“If you say so. You know you can ask for my help on anything Kai.” Team mom indeed, Kai can’t help but smile fondly as Yaku thumps his fist against his chest.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kenma and Yamamoto exchange looks of exasperation behind their senior’s backs.

“Kai is really stubborn isn’t he.” Kenma whispers.

“Too stubborn.” Yamamoto agrees.

-

Practice runs late into the night and the team stumbles out of the showers blearily, wrung to the bone. Shibayama is curled up in Inuoka’s arms as both of them bid the team good night and walk towards their block. Kuroo drags Kenma along with him, the setter nodding off every few minutes or so. Yamamoto has volunteered to take Lev home for the day and Fukunaga slips away without any of them noticing. 

For once Yaku is silent as he drags his feet home, Kai trailing behind him a few paces in a manner that constitutes worry for the silent wing spiker.

“I’m alright Kai, really.”

“Please do this for my sake then,” Kai replies serenely and Yaku curses the butterflies that fly up into his throat. Why did Kai have to be so perfect and put together? Even when Kai was angry, a rare but incredibly frightening occasion, his voice was always steady.

“Can I hold your hand?” The question makes Yaku jump and he whirls around to face Kai.

“Why would you want to hold my hand in public?” Kai doesn’t think it’s fair how cute Yaku’s confused expression is and Yaku is enchanted by the affection he catches in Kai’s eyes. 

“Because I like you.” Yaku’s grateful for the night wind because he just might explode from the heat that rushes up into his cheeks. His mind stutters to a halt, his tongue goes dry and his hands shake uncontrollably. Time freezes and Yaku is as stiff as an icicle because he never thought he would hear anything like this. Because the facts of Nekoma’s third years have changed. Kuroo loves Bokuto. Yaku loves Kai. Kai loves Yaku back.

Kai looks dismayed by Yaku’s lack of reaction, missing the gears and the cogs realigning in Yaku’s mind, but he steels himself, might as well get it all out.

“I like the way you care for others, that’s you’re kind but you’re not soft—you’re strong and you’re proud and you always leave me dazzled by your confidence in yourself and in our team. I always enjoy being around you because it feels like I’m at home, that I’m a better version of myself that I really hope you like and that I’m safe to tell you everything. I’m not much for words but I genuinely admire and respect you and I want to be your partner in every way I can going forward.” 

Yaku doesn’t move, still spell bound by Kai’s confession, still caught in the marvel of having one’s first love returned. However, Kai takes this stillness as an indication to leave, and he turns, trying to ignore the prickling in his eyes. This is worse than not knowing, he thinks, that rejection is like a spear to the chest that refuses to be pulled out. The clouds are gone but there’s blood pouring out of his heart and into his eyes. It’s only when he feels a sharp tug that he dares to look around at Yaku’s eyes and it makes him catch his breath.

“I-I like you too, you know.” Yaku’s eyes are wet too but they’re brimming with happiness. They glisten like little stars and Kai runs his fingers over Yaku’s eyelids with uncharacteristic impulsivity. He wants to catch those shards of Yaku’s love and keep them for himself. “I like the way you ground me and rest your hand on my shoulder after games. With you, I’m at ease—I know both of us are carrying responsibilities but they all seem to disappear when you’re with me. I’m so glad that I fell in love you.”

“I’m glad that you did.” Kai laces his fingers tighter and tighter around Yaku’s. His knuckles scream in protest but Yaku doesn’t seem to mind. Kai lets his tears fall because he feels the tension of years of wondering rushing out of him and it makes him fly higher than the moon. “I’m also glad I fell in love with you too.” 

“Yeah.” Yaku breathes as if it’s his first. “Yeah, me too.”

-

Bonus:

“Okay Kenma, it’s starting to freak me out how many cameras you and Akaashi have.” Yamamoto mutters, careful not to disturb the moonlit couple in front of them. He’s happy for Kai and Yaku, he truly is, but after rushing Lev home and sneaking Kenma out of his house, he’s beginning to wonder if it’s worth the cost.

“You mean how many cameras Ennoshita and Akaashi have—I’m borrowing this from their collection.” Kenma snaps another photo and checks it. It’s breath-taking, not as good as Akaashi’s or Ennoshita’s would have been but the angle and light creates an almost fantastical feel to it. Confession on a moonlit walk, Ennoshita will appreciate the trope.

“This costs thousands of dollars! How do they even have this?” Yamamoto looks at the camera incredulously. Very few cameras can shoot well at 9 PM at night and it’s almost unbelievable that a pair of high schoolers would get their hands on it.

“Donation apparently—one of Fukurodani’s graduates ended up being a pretty successful cinematographer and took a liking to Ennoshita’s work.” Kenma shrugs. Film has never really caught his interest since it required interaction with many, many people. 

“Damn, should I ask for his autograph?”

“Not sure. Come back in a couple years.”

“Okay, okay. Shit I just realized; Yaku’s going to kill us though once he finds out.”

“Then we’ll make sure that we leave the photos in his locker and run to the other side of the school.” Kenma replies, “Possibly off campus if Coach will let us.”

Yamamoto throws his hands up in dramatic woe,

“I’m too young to die!”

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a part of a larger series that will hopefully cover all the other schools. The different between "Steady" and canonverse is that some characters, especially the second years, are a lot closer than is canonical. A lot of the backstory is also headcanon so it's more spinoff than au but I'll still be tagging it as "au" to make to clear that this universe isn't 100% compliant with canon.


End file.
